I needed a breather from all the sweet stuff my kitchen has been busy churning out lately so I’ve decided to regale you with a deliciously savoury and appropriately Christmassy appetizer today – vegan stuffed mushrooms. For me, mushrooms always remind me of home and the comfort of my mum’s cooking. One dish that I am particularly fond of is dead simple yet insanely delicious – whole mushroom caps pan-fried in a generous amount of – I’m ashamed to admit – butter. The smell of my mum making those would permeate throughout the house and suddenly my Dad, Brother and I would be like a kettle of vultures, forks in hands! The beautiful thing about this dish is that, other than some salt and pepper, maybe a garlic clove as seasoning, all you need is a loaf of good sourdough to mop up the pan juices with. The mere thought of these mushrooms makes me drool.
These mushrooms are not that rustic and a bit more complicated to make but they are also much more festive looking, so I hope you may be tempted to welcome them on your Christmas table. The pre-baked mushroom caps are lovingly basted in a quick garlic and rosemary oil and filled with a heady mixture of fried shallots, garlic, winter herbs, panko breadcrumbs and nuts. They are not difficult to make and they are delicious, full of homely, wintery flavours and with bags of umami (cos mushrooms and miso are umami bombs). They are certainly good enough to feed my mushroom habit so if you or your fellow diners have a thing for mushrooms too, I am pretty sure they will be an instant hit. Enjoy. x
